Pulled Pork Sliders

These pulled pork sliders are everything you want from this classic recipe with soft, buttery Hawaiian roll buns, saucy BBQ pulled pork and a fresh and tangy coleslaw to top it off. They’re the perfect game-day bite or casual party menu item.

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Pulled pork sliders are the thing we all love to see on a party menu. They’re a classic, and for good reason. How can you resist a sweet and savory buttery Hawaiian roll in all its pillowy deliciousness that’s stuffed full of moist pulled pork loaded with BBQ sauce and topped with a crunchy fresh coleslaw?

You can’t.

Funny enough, while I’ve happily eaten these any time they’ve been available to me, I’ve never made them at home. A freezer full of pork and some shoulder season weather (hello, football food) seemed like the perfect time to change that.

I honestly don’t know why I waited so long. I make pulled pork all the time so throwing together a quick coleslaw and adding some slider buns to the mix is not that much more work.

If you’re looking for the perfect party planning menu item, look no further because these BBQ pork sliders are it.

Why These Are The Best Pulled Pork Sliders

• The recipe includes two ways to make the pork (Instant Pot or slow cooker), but you can also use leftover pork and this becomes a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
• The slider rolls are brushed with an insanely delicious butter, sugar, garlic and Worcestershire sauce that’s out of this world.
• The coleslaw comes together in minutes and it’s a great staple for other meals too like tacos or ribs.
• There’s no more ubiquitously loved party recipe than pulled pork sliders!

Ingredients You’ll Need

The ingredient list might look long, but don’t be deterred, it’s a simple recipe. It just has a few parts to it!

For the pork, you’ll need:

• 3-4 pound pork shoulder or pork butt — Boston butt is my favorite cut if you can find it.
• Spices and seasonings — These include brown sugar, salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and paprika that are mixed into a rub to flavor the pork as it cooks.
• Avocado oil — Oil is used to brown the pork before cooking it in the slow cooker or Instant Pot. This isn’t necessary if you’d rather a dump and go recipe, but I always choose to do so when I have the time.
• Chicken broth — Used as the liquid when cooking the pork.
• BBQ sauce — Once the pork is cooked and shredded, the BBQ sauce is added for flavor and that quintessential saucy texture of a good slider. Choose your favorite kind or use a homemade recipe.

For the coleslaw you’ll need:

• Coleslaw mix — Make life easier by buying your favorite store-bought slaw mix. No need to shred cabbage and make a mess.
• Greek yogurt — I always use yogurt in place of mayonnaise in my coleslaw recipes, including this Irish coleslaw. I’m just not a mayo fan.
• Dijon mustard — Adds great flavor with just a small amount.
• Apple cider vinegar — For that classic tangy flavor a good coleslaw should have.
• Spices — Salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Alternatively, you can use this red cabbage slaw recipe that includes apples and raisins. It goes really well with the BBQ pork too.

Once the pork is cooked and the slaw made, you’ll need just a few more items to assemble the sliders:

• Slider buns — I highly recommend Hawaiian rolls for their soft, fluffy texture and subtly sweet flavor which pairs really well with the BBQ sauce pork. Brioche rolls are also a good bread choice for pulled pork sliders.
• BBQ sauce — This is optional and additional to the BBQ sauce already mixed in with the pork if you like your sliders extra saucy.
• Butter sauce — Made with melted butter, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder, this gets brushed on top of the slider buns before baking for extra flavor in each bite.
• Parsley — For just a touch of green when serving.

Making This Pulled Pork Slider Recipe

Start by combining all the spices for the pork rub in a small bowl. Rub them on the outside of the entire surface of the pork until it’s fully coated.

At this point, decide if you’re using the slow cooker or Instant Pot cooking method.

For the slow cooker: Heat the oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over medium-heat high. Once it’s hot, brown the pork on all sides to form a golden brown crust on the meat. Transfer the pork to the pot with the chicken broth and cook on low for 8 hours.

For the Instant Pot: You can brown the pork in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Once browned, add the chicken broth and make sure to scrap up any stuck on bits on the bottom of the pot using a wooden spatula. Pressure cook on manual high pressure for 70 minutes and let the pressure naturally release.

Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the cooking device and liquid and shred using two forks. Return the meat to the pot with the accumulating cooking liquids and add the BBQ sauce. Toss everything together until well combined and set aside.

The coleslaw can be made while the pork is cooking by combining all the ingredients together in a large bowl and tossing well. Keep refrigerated until ready to assemble the sliders.

When you’re ready to assemble the sliders, preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the slider buns in half and place them in a baking dish. If you’re using Hawaiian rolls, you can leave them attached and slice all of them at the same time. See the tips section below for the best way to do that.

Layer the pulled pork on the bottom half of the rolls then top with a spoonful of extra BBQ sauce (if using). Place the tops of the buns back on top.

Microwave the butter, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder in a small bowl for 30 seconds until warmed. Whisk together, then brush the tops of the buns liberally with the sauce.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes so the buns get golden brown on top. You can broil for the last minute or two if you like them really brown, but pay close attention so the bread doesn’t burn.

Remove from the oven and let the pulled pork sliders cool down for a few minutes. Remove the tops of the buns and spoon some of the prepared coleslaw on top. Replace the buns and garnish with parsley before serving.

My Best Tips

• Most people will eat about 2 sliders each. The recipe makes 12 BBQ pulled pork sliders, but you’ll definitely have leftover pork so you can easily double this by grabbing more slider buns. If your roast is closer to 4 pounds in size, you can likely triple the amount of sliders.
• These are best served warm straight out of the oven.
• Both the pork and coleslaw can be made in advance. Take advantage of that if you have a lot going on the day you plan on making the sliders. Coleslaw is actually better when it’s had a few hours for the flavors to meld together.
• Use a long serrated bread knife if you have one to slice through the rolls all at once instead of separating them and doing this one by one.
• If you need to keep the sliders warm during a party, keep them in the baking dish covered with foil in a low-temp oven.

Fun Variations

I love the classic BBQ sauce and coleslaw combination of this recipe, but there are a bunch of ways you can tweak these sliders. A few of my favorites include:

1. Replace the coleslaw with pineapple. Pickled pineapple would be amazing and you can see that combination in these pickled pineapple BBQ pork sandwiches.
2. Swap out the pork for shredded chicken if you want something a little leaner. Using a rotisserie chicken is perfect for this.
3. Add cheese. Lots of pulled pork sliders include cheese. If you’re a sucker for an epic cheese-pull, this is the way to go, just nix the coleslaw because that would be a weird combination. The best cheese options for pulled pork sliders are cheddar, Monterey Jack or Pepper jack.
4. Add pickled veggies like jalapeños or shallots. The tangy flavor of anything pickled contrasts the sweet BBQ sauce really well. You can also choose to serve a creamy cucumber salad with pickled onions on the side for the same effect.

What To Serve These With

Sliders pair fabulously with a bunch of sides. You can serve a classic potato salad, pasta salad, mac and cheese recipe, corn on the cob or fries.

When I’m serving these for a gathering, I’ll usually do something classic like the above suggestions. When I’m making these at home for just us, I like to pair the meal with simple roasted white sweet potatoes or make homemade purple sweet potato fries. For summer time, this cucumber melon salad is a great combination.

This pulled pork slider recipe will become your best new party recipe. Guarantee they’ll fly off people’s plates faster than anything else on the table. Sometimes you just can’t go wrong with a tried and true classic.

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Pulled Pork Sliders

By: Gina Matsoukas

Servings: 12 servings

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total: 8 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

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These BBQ pulled pork sliders with Hawaiian rolls, tangy coleslaw, and a buttery topping are the ultimate party bites. Perfect for game days or gatherings, they’re easy to make and sure to disappear fast!

Ingredients 

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To make the pulled pork:

• ▢ 3-4 pounds pork shoulder or pork butt, Boston butt is our preferred cut
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• ▢ ½ cup chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce

To make the coleslaw:

• ▢ 1 package, about 8-9 ounces coleslaw mix
• ▢ ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder

To make the sliders:

• ▢ 12 slider buns
• ▢ ¼ – ½ cup BBQ sauce, optional
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ Fresh chopped parsley

Instructions 

Make the pulled pork

Slow cooker option:

• Combine the sugar and all the spices in a small bowl. Mix together and coat the entire outside of the pork with the mixture.
• Pour the avocado oil into a large heavy bottomed skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pork and brown on all sides.
• Transfer the browned pork to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from the slow cooker, shred the pork and return it to the slow cooker with the juices. Add the BBQ sauce and toss to combine.

Instant Pot option:

• Follow the same steps as the slow cooker option to season the pork. Brown it using the saute function on the Instant Pot then turn the heat off, add the broth and affix the lid.
• Set the IP to manual cook on high pressure for 70 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release and remove the lid once the pin drops. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, shred using forks and return it to the IP with the accumulated juices. Add the BBQ sauce and toss to combine.

Make the coleslaw

• Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir together until all the cabbage is well coated. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. This is best made a few hours before the sliders so the flavors have a chance to develop.

Assemble the sliders

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the slider buns in half and place in a baking dish.
• Layer the pulled pork over the top of the bottom half of the buns and drizzle the extra BBQ sauce (if using) on top of the pork. Place the top half of the buns back on top.
• Combine the butter, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder in a small bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds until melted and stir together.
• Brush the butter mixture on top of the slider buns then cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the buns start to turn golden brown.
• Let them cool a few minutes once out of the oven, remove the top half of the slider buns and spoon the coleslaw on top. Replace the buns and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 944mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 375IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

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Gina Matsoukas

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.